Rural Opportunities To Use Transportation for Economic Success: Request for Information

Joel Szabat
U.S. Department of Transportation
27 November 2019

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65459-65460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25785]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST--2019-0167]


Rural Opportunities To Use Transportation for Economic Success: 
Request for Information

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: On October 28, 2019, the Secretary of Transportation issued an 
order launching the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for 
Economic Success (ROUTES) initiative. ROUTES will help the Department 
of Transportation (DOT) address disparities in rural transportation 
infrastructure to tangibly improve safety and economic competitiveness 
in all parts of the country. This notice requests comments on unmet 
transportation infrastructure needs in rural transportation, barriers 
that rural communities face in addressing these needs, stakeholders' 
experiences with applying to and using DOT discretionary grant and 
credit programs, and opportunities for DOT to improve its services and 
technical assistance to rural communities in relation to these grant 
and credit programs.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 30 days from posting of 
this notice. DOT will consider comments filed after this date to the 
extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket number above and be 
submitted by one of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Search by using the docket number (provided above). Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the electronic docket site.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room PL-401, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket numbers.

    Note: All comments received, including any personal information, 
will be posted without change to the docket and will be accessible 
to the public at http://www.regulations.gov. You should not include 
information in your comment that you do not want to be made public. 
Input submitted online via www.regulations.gov is not immediately 
posted to the site. It may take several business days before your 
submission is posted.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit http://www.transportation.gov/rural, or 
contact Robert Hyman at rural@dot.gov or 202-366-5843.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The mission of the DOT is to ensure our Nation has the safest, most 
efficient, and modern transportation system in the world; that improves 
the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural 
to urban; and increases the productivity and competitiveness of 
American workers and businesses. To accomplish this mission, Congress 
authorizes and appropriates funds to the DOT, which administers a large 
portfolio of grant and credit programs to maintain and improve aspects 
of our transportation network. Each year, DOT awards billions of 
dollars in discretionary transportation grants using prescribed 
selection and eligibility criteria.
    Rural transportation networks are critically important for domestic 
uses and export of agriculture, mining, and energy commodities, as well 
as the quality of life for all Americans. However, rural networks face 
unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and usage.
    To address these issues, on October 28, 2019, the Secretary of 
Transportation issued an order launching the Rural Opportunities to Use 
Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) initiative. ROUTES will 
improve how the DOT considers rural project applications in DOT's 
discretionary grant and credit programs, including ensuring that 
project costs, local resources, and the benefits to the American people 
and economy are appropriately considered. It will also provide rural 
communities with technical assistance for meeting the Nation's 
transportation infrastructure investment needs in a financially 
sustainable manner.
    DOT seeks information directly from the public and other 
stakeholders to inform the development and implementation of the ROUTES 
initiative. DOT seeks comments that illustrate rural communities' needs 
and experiences with transportation infrastructure, including the 
condition of that infrastructure, its effect on safety, and how its use 
affects the community. For the purpose of this notice, 
``transportation'' includes road, rail, transit, aviation, maritime, 
pipelines, and other forms of transportation; ``infrastructure'' 
includes all capital investment in transportation such as structures, 
equipment, and rolling stock. This includes comments and data 
pertaining to current unmet needs in rural transportation, barriers 
rural communities face in addressing these transportation needs, 
stakeholders' experiences with applying to and using DOT discretionary 
grant and credit programs, and opportunities for the DOT to improve its 
services and technical assistance to rural communities in relation to 
these grant and credit programs, within the limits of statutory 
requirements. In addition, DOT specifically requests comments and data 
in response to the questions below. To the extent possible, DOT seeks 
relevant technical information, regulatory citations, data, or other 
evidence to support the comments received.

1. Identifying Unmet Needs in Rural Transportation

    A. What infrastructure issues are contributing to high fatality 
rates on rural roadways and rail-highway grade crossings (e.g., roadway 
condition or geometry, driver behavior, wildlife collisions)?
    B. What unique challenges do rural areas face related to 
infrastructure condition (e.g., age of infrastructure or equipment, 
including vehicles, bridge closures or postings, types of freight 
carried, weather resiliency)?
    C. How does infrastructure usage (e.g., access to public 
transportation, technology deployment) affect the lives of rural 
Americans?
    D. What types of infrastructure projects are most needed in rural 
communities to meet national transportation priorities such as safety 
and economic competitiveness?
    E. What types of rural transportation projects or services do rural 
communities find challenging to fund?
    F. What additional or alternative methods can be used to identify 
and prioritize rural transportation projects for funding through 
discretionary grants?

[[Page 65460]]

2. Addressing Unmet Needs Through DOT Discretionary Grant Programs

    A. What resources or direct assistance could DOT provide to support 
rural transportation projects or reach communities that may not be 
aware of DOT discretionary programs?
    B. What challenges do rural communities face when applying for DOT 
grants and financial assistance (e.g., project prioritization, 
eligibility requirements, funding match)?
    C. What types of technical assistance would be effective for 
navigating the application process?

Public Comment

    DOT invites comments by all those interested in the Rural 
Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) 
initiative. Comments may be submitted and viewed at Docket Number DOT-
OST-2019-0167 at http://www.regulations.gov, or at the address given 
above under ADDRESSES. Comments must be received on or before 30 days 
from posting of this notice to receive full consideration by DOT. After 
30 days from posting of this notice, comments will continue to be 
available for viewing by the public.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 22, 2019, under authority 
delegated at 49 U.S.C. 1.25a.
Joel Szabat,
Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2019-25785 Filed 11-26-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P